Surface microstructure and morphology study of thin films produced from volatile fluorine-containing rare-earth β-diketonate complexes and their adducts

We present the results of a surface microstructure and morphology study of thin films produced from volatile fluorine-containing rare-earth β-diketonate complexes and their adducts. Films 0.2–0.4 μm in thickness were synthesized in vacuum by means of thermal deposition of the parent substances at a pressure of 5 × 10−4−1 × 10−3 Pa and a deposition rate of 3 × 10−3 μm s−1 (for NaNd(FOD)4 films, the deposition rate was 8 × 10−2 μm s−1). The microstructure of films depends on the deposition conditions. The films of [NaNd(PTFA)4] and [NaNd(FOD)4] complexes and Ln(PTFA)3 · S1 adducts have an amorphous structure. The [NaNd(PTFA)4(Phen)] and Nd(PTFA)3 · S2 films are characterized by a more ordered polycrystalline structure with the grain size ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 μm.